CN101395739A - Battery module - Google Patents

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a middle- or large-sized battery module including two or more unit modules each having one or more plate-shaped battery cells, as unit cells, surrounded by a high-strength sheathing member made of synthetic resin or metal, and separable upper and lower frame members coupled with each other in an assembly-type coupling structure such that the unit modules are vertically mounted in the upper and lower frame members. The present invention has the effect of easily mounting a sensing unit that is capable of minimizing the weight and size of battery cells while effectively reinforcing the low mechanical strength of the battery cells and sensing the operation state of the battery cells to a middle- or large-sized battery module. In addition, the present invention has the effect of manufacturing the battery module by a simple assembly process without using a plurality of members for mechanical coupling and electrical connection, thereby decreasing the manufacturing costs of the battery module, and effectively preventing the battery module from being short-circuited or damaged during the manufacture or the operation of the battery module. Furthermore, the present invention has the effect of manufacturing a middle- or large-sized battery system having desired output and capacity using the battery module as a unit body.

Description

battery module

technical field

The present invention relates to a battery module including a plate-shaped battery cell having electrode terminals formed at the upper and lower ends thereof, and more particularly to a battery module including two or more A battery cell and a pair of high-strength battery covers constructed in a stacked structure in which electrode terminals of the battery cells are connected to each other in series and the electrode terminal connecting portion is bent so that the battery cells are stacked, and the pair of high-strength battery covers For surrounding the outer surface of the battery cell except for the electrode terminals of the battery cell when the pair of battery covers are joined to each other.

Background technique

Recently, secondary batteries that can be charged and discharged have been widely used as energy sources for wireless mobile devices. Also, secondary batteries have attracted attention as an energy source for electric vehicles (EV) and hybrid electric vehicles (HEV), which have been developed to solve problems such as air pollution caused by fossil fuel-using automobiles and diesel vehicles. and other issues.

Small mobile devices use one or more small battery cells per device. On the other hand, since medium or large devices such as vehicles require high output and large capacity, these medium or large devices use a medium or large battery module having a plurality of battery cells electrically connected to each other.

Preferably, medium or large battery modules are manufactured to be smaller in size and lighter in weight if possible. For this reason, a prismatic battery or a pouch shaped battery, which can be stacked with high integrity and has a small weight-to-capacity ratio, is generally used as a battery unit of a middle-sized or large-sized battery module. In particular, a pouch-shaped storage battery using an aluminum laminate as a cover is currently attracting more attention because the pouch-shaped storage battery is small in weight and the manufacturing cost of the pouch-shaped storage battery is low.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view typically showing a conventional representative pouch-shaped secondary battery. The pouch-shaped battery 100 shown in FIG. 1 is constructed in a structure in which two electrode leads 110 and 120 protrude from upper and lower ends of a battery body 130, respectively, while the electrode leads 110 and 120 face each other. The cover 140 includes an upper cover part and a lower cover part. That is, the cover 140 is a two-unit member. An electrode assembly (not shown) is accommodated in the receiving portion defined between the upper cover portion and the lower cover portion of the cover member 140 . Opposite sides 140 a , upper and lower ends 140 b and 140 c , which are contact areas of the upper and lower cover parts of the cover 140 are bonded to each other, thereby manufacturing the pouch-shaped battery 100 . The cover 140 is configured in a laminated structure of resin layer/metal film layer/resin layer. Therefore, by applying heat and pressure to the opposite sides 140a, upper and lower ends 140b and 140c of the upper and lower cover parts of the cover member 140 to weld their resin layers to each other, the cover members 140 that are in contact with each other can be bonded together. The opposite sides 140a of the contact areas of the upper cover part and the lower cover part, the upper and lower ends 140b and 140c are combined with each other. According to circumstances, the opposite sides 140a, upper and lower ends 140b and 140c of the upper and lower cover parts of the cover 140 may be bonded to each other using an adhesive. For the opposite sides 140a of the cover 140, the same resin layers of the upper and lower cover parts of the cover 140 directly contact each other, thereby achieving uniform sealing at the opposite sides 140a of the cover 140 by welding. On the other hand, for the upper and lower ends 140b and 140c of the cover 140 , the electrode wires 110 and 120 protrude from the upper and lower ends 140b and 140c of the cover 140 , respectively. For this, the upper and lower ends 140b and 140c of the upper and lower covering parts of the cover 140 are thermally welded to each other, taking into account the thickness of the electrode leads 110 and 120 and the distance between the electrode leads 110 and 120 and the cover 140. Material difference, a film-shaped sealing member 160 is placed between the electrode leads 110 and 120 and the covering member 140 , thereby improving the sealing performance of the covering member 140 .

However, the mechanical strength of the cover 140 is low. In order to solve this problem, a method of installing battery cells (cell batteries) into a battery pack case such as a cartridge to manufacture a battery module having a stable structure has been proposed. However, a device or a vehicle in which a middle-sized or large-sized storage battery is to be installed has a limited installation space. Therefore, when the size of the battery module is increased due to the use of the battery pack case such as a box, the efficiency of space utilization is lowered. Also, due to the low mechanical strength, the battery cells repeatedly expand and contract during charging and discharging of the battery cells. Therefore, the thermally welded area of the cover is easily separated.

Some techniques have been proposed to cover the outer surfaces of the pouch-shaped battery cells using battery covers to ensure the safety of the battery cells.

For example, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2005-108693 discloses a battery cover including a pair of elastic portions having the same elasticity for supporting opposite main surfaces of a plate-shaped laminated battery cell.

This publication proposes a structure in which the opposite main surfaces of the battery cells are elastically pressed using a battery cover bent into a concave shape. However, due to the additional bonding of the battery cover to the outer surface of the battery cell, the overall size of the battery cell is inevitably increased. Also, it is necessary to insert the battery unit into the battery cover having the above configuration. Therefore, an assembling operation is not easy, and thus mass production is difficult. That is, when the battery cell is forcibly inserted into the battery cell case, an excessive load is applied to the battery cell, and thus the battery cell may be damaged.

Meanwhile, since the battery module is a structure including many battery cells combined with each other, when overvoltage, overcurrent, and overheat occur in some battery cells, the safety and operating efficiency of the battery module are reduced. Therefore, a detection unit for detecting overvoltage, overcurrent, and overheat is required. In particular, voltage and temperature sensors are connected to the battery cells so as to detect and control the operation of the battery cells in real time or at predetermined intervals. However, the combination or connection of the sensing units complicates the assembly process of the battery module. Also, since many wires are provided for bonding or connecting the detection unit, short circuits may occur.

Furthermore, when a middle-sized or large-sized battery module is constructed using a plurality of battery cells, or a plurality of unit modules each including a predetermined number of battery cells, a plurality of mechanical and electrical connections between the battery cells or unit modules are required. components, and the process of assembling the mechanical or electrical connection components is very complicated. In addition, a space is required for connecting, welding or soldering the mechanical connection and electrical connection members, thereby resulting in an increase in the overall size of the system. In the above aspects, an increase in the size of the system is undesirable. Therefore, there is a great need for compact and structurally stable battery modules.

Contents of the invention

Therefore, the present invention has been made in order to solve the above-mentioned problems and other problems that remain unsolved.

In particular, an object of the present invention is to provide a battery cover which minimizes the weight and size of the battery cell while effectively reinforcing the low mechanical strength of the battery cell and which is easily attached to the battery module. without using additional connectors.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a battery module, which is manufactured through a simple assembly process without using a plurality of components for mechanical connection and electrical connection, thereby reducing the manufacturing cost of the battery module, and effectively A short circuit or damage to the battery module during the manufacture or operation of the battery module is effectively avoided.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a middle or large battery system manufactured using a battery module as a unit body so that the middle or large battery system has a desired output and capacity.

According to an aspect of the present invention, the above object and other objects can be achieved by providing a battery module including plate-shaped battery cells having electrode terminals formed at upper and lower ends thereof, wherein the battery module includes: two or a plurality of battery cells constructed into a stacked structure in which electrode terminals of the battery cells are connected to each other in series and connection portions of the electrode terminals are bent so that the battery cells are stacked; and a pair of high-strength battery covers, For surrounding the outer surface of the battery cell other than the electrode terminals of the battery cell when the pair of battery covers are connected to each other.

In the battery module according to the present invention, while the high-strength battery cover protects the battery cells with low mechanical strength, it restrains repeated expansion and contraction changes of the battery cells during charge and discharge of the battery cells, thereby preventing the battery cells from Separation between sealed areas of the unit.

In a preferred embodiment, the battery covers have an inner structure corresponding to the outer shape of the battery cell stack, and the battery covers are connected to each other in an assembly coupling manner without using additional connecting members. For example, the battery cover may have a connection portion formed approximately symmetrically on its vertical section and configured as a symmetrically curved structure so that the battery cover parts are pressed while the battery cover parts are in contact with each other so that when the battery cover parts face each other, the battery The cover parts can be interengaged by elastic connections.

The plate-shaped battery unit is a secondary battery having a small thickness and relatively large width and length, so when the secondary batteries are stacked to configure a battery module, the overall size of the secondary battery is minimized. In a preferred embodiment, each plate-shaped battery cell is a secondary battery constructed in a structure in which the electrode assembly is mounted in a battery case made of a resin layer and a metal layer. A laminate is made, and electrode terminals protrude from the upper and lower ends of the battery case. Specifically, each battery cell was constructed in a structure in which an electrode assembly was mounted in a pouch-shaped battery case made of an aluminum laminate. Hereinafter, the secondary battery having the above configuration is referred to as a pouch-shaped battery unit.

The housing of the pouch battery cell can be constructed in various configurations. For example, the cover of the pouch-shaped secondary battery may be constructed in such a structure that the electrode assembly is accommodated in a receiving portion formed on the upper inner surface and/or the lower inner surface of the double cell-member, and the The upper and lower contact areas are sealed. A pouch-shaped storage battery unit having the above configuration is disclosed in PCT International Patent Application No. PCT/KR2004/003312, which is filed in the name of the applicant of the present patent application. The disclosure of the aforementioned patent application is hereby incorporated by reference as if fully disclosed herein.

The electrode assembly includes a cathode and an anode through which the battery can be charged and discharged. The electrode assembly may be configured in a structure in which those cathodes and anodes are stacked with separators placed between those cathodes and anodes, respectively. For example, the electrode assembly may be configured in a jelly-roll type structure or a stacked type structure. Alternatively, the anode and the cathode of the electrode assembly may be configured such that the electrode tabs of the cathode and the electrode tabs of the anode are connected to additional wires, and the wires protrude outward from the battery.

The battery cells are connected in series and/or in parallel in one battery module, or the battery cells in one battery module are connected in series and/or in parallel with the battery cells in another battery module. In a preferred embodiment, a plurality of battery modules can be manufactured by interconnecting the electrode terminals of the battery cells while arranging the battery cells in series in the longitudinal direction so that the electrode terminals of the battery cells are adjacent to each other continuously without interruption and can be bent twice at a time. two or more battery cells so that the battery cells are stacked while being in close contact with each other, and a predetermined number of the stacked battery cells are surrounded by battery covers.

Connection between electrode terminals is achieved in various ways such as welding, soldering, and mechanical connection. Preferably, the connection between the electrode terminals is achieved by welding.

The side seals of the edge seals of the battery cells are bent such that the side seals approximately conform to the inner shape of the case. Therefore, space utilization is improved, and thus it is possible to manufacture a battery module with a compact structure.

Since heat is generated from the secondary battery during charging and discharging of the secondary battery, efficiently dissipating the generated heat to the outside is critical to extending the life of the battery. Therefore, the battery cover may be made of a metal plate having high thermal conductivity so that heat generated by the unit batteries in the battery cover is easily discharged to the outside.

In a preferred embodiment, each battery cover is provided with a plurality of linear protrusions spaced apart from each other in the lateral direction (width direction) on its outer surface. Preferably, at least one of the linear protrusions has a recess in which the thermistor is mounted. In particular, the recess may be formed in the middle area of the linear protrusion located at the middle area of each battery cover to measure the temperature of the corresponding battery cell very sensitively.

Also, the upper and lower end protrusions among the linear protrusions may have projection parts preferably formed in opposite shapes. The protruding portion has a shape corresponding to the protruding portion of an adjacent battery module when the battery modules are stacked, thereby preventing the battery modules from being reversely stacked or deviating from each other.

Preferably, the protrusions with protrusions are arranged in a discontinuous configuration relative to the protrusions. In this case, when the battery modules are stacked, the coolant (for example, air) flows in the longitudinal and lateral directions of the battery cover, thus further improving the cooling efficiency.

Depending on circumstances, most of the protrusions may be configured such that the length between opposite ends of the protrusion is smaller than the width of the battery cover. In this case, the flow of the coolant in the longitudinal direction of the battery cover is further accelerated.

The battery cover may be provided with a step of predetermined size at its side edge for conveniently fixing the battery module when the battery cover is connected with the frame member. Preferably, the battery cover is provided with steps of a predetermined size at outer surfaces adjacent to its upper and lower ends for easily fixing the battery module. According to circumstances, the battery cover may be provided with steps of a predetermined size on outer surfaces adjacent to opposite sides thereof for easily fixing the battery module. More preferably, steps are formed adjacent to upper and lower ends of the battery cover and outer surfaces of opposite sides for more firmly fixing the battery module.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a middle- or large-sized battery pack manufactured using a battery module as a unit body.

Medium or large battery packs are manufactured by electrically and mechanically connecting multiple secondary batteries to provide high-output, high-capacity electrical energy. For example, a medium or large battery pack may be manufactured by mounting a stack of two or more battery modules to the battery pack frame, with the stack standing laterally.

In a preferred embodiment, the battery pack frame includes a lower frame attached thereto when the battery modules are stacked upright in a lateral direction, and an upper frame connected to the lower frame.

Preferably, the upper frame member and the lower frame member are constructed in a structure so as to surround the edge of the battery module and to expose the outer surface of the battery module to the outside, so that after the battery module is installed in the upper frame member and the lower frame member, When the upper frame member and the lower frame member are connected to each other, easy heat dissipation of the battery module is achieved. In particular, the upper and lower frame members are open laterally such that the edges of the battery modules are secured to the upper and lower frame members.

In a preferred embodiment, the upper frame member and the lower frame member are provided with a plurality of partitions on their inner sides for guiding the vertical installation operation of the corresponding unit modules. The partitions may include grooves formed inside the upper and lower frame members such that edges of the unit modules are inserted into the grooves and/or partition walls to assist the edges of the unit modules to be stably fitted into the grooves.

By mounting the unit module to one of the upper frame member and the lower frame member (for example, the lower frame member) and connecting the other frame member (for example, the upper frame member) to the frame member in which the unit module is installed , connecting the upper and lower frame members to each other. The connection between the upper frame member and the lower frame member can be achieved in various ways. For example, a hook may be formed on one of the frame members, and a connection hole corresponding to the hook may be formed on the other frame member, thereby achieving connection between the upper frame member and the lower frame member without using an additional connection member.

In a battery pack including a plurality of battery cells, it is necessary to detect and control the voltage and temperature of the battery cells in consideration of safety and operating efficiency of the battery modules. For this reason, the incorporation of detection means for measuring the voltage or temperature of the battery cells is one of the main factors that further complicate the configuration of the battery pack.

The above-mentioned problems can be solved by providing a detection unit for detecting the voltage and/or temperature of the battery cells installed along one of the frame members according to the present invention.

The electric terminal electrode terminal of the outermost battery module among the battery modules installed in the upper frame member and the lower frame member is electrically connected to an external circuit or an electrode terminal of an adjacent battery module. To this end, input and output terminal bus bars are connected to the electrode terminals of the outermost battery module. In a preferred embodiment, the bus bar is provided with a connection hole, and at least one frame member is provided with a connection protrusion corresponding to the connection hole on its outer side, whereby the bus bar can be easily and stably mounted to the electrode terminal.

The medium-sized or large-sized battery pack according to the invention also includes means for controlling the operation of the battery modules (a so-called battery management system). Preferably, a battery management system (BMS) is installed on the side opposite to the side where the input and output terminal bus bars are located (rear of the battery module). When a middle-sized or large-sized battery system is constructed using a plurality of battery packs, as will be described below, a BMS mounted to a corresponding battery pack may be referred to as a 'slave BMS'.

The middle-sized or large-sized battery pack according to the present invention is constructed in a compact structure, and mechanical connection or electrical connection of the middle-sized or large-sized battery pack is stably realized without using a plurality of members. Also, the battery pack may be constructed using a predetermined number of battery cells, for example, four, six, eight, or ten battery cells, thereby efficiently installing a required number of battery cells in a limited space.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a middle- or large-sized battery system having high output and large capacity, which is constructed by connecting a plurality of battery packs.

A medium- or large-sized battery system according to the present invention can be constructed by combining battery packs according to required output and capacity. Considering the installation efficiency and structural stability of the battery system, the battery system according to the present invention is preferably used for electric vehicles, hybrid electric vehicles, electric motorcycles or electric bicycles that have limited installation space and are prone to frequent vibrations and strong shocks.

Description of drawings

The above and other purposes, features and other advantages of the present invention can be more clearly understood through the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a conventional representative pouch battery;

2 to 10 are typical views showing a process of assembling a battery module according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

11 is an exploded perspective view showing a medium-sized or large-sized battery pack according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

12 and 13 are perspective views showing a medium-sized or large-sized battery pack manufactured by stacking a plurality of battery modules.

Detailed ways

Now, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted, however, that the scope of the present invention is not limited to the illustrated embodiments.

2 to 10 are views typically showing a process of assembling a battery module according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and FIGS. 11 to 13 are perspective views showing a process of assembling a middle-sized or large-sized battery pack using a battery module.

Referring first to FIG. 2, two pouch-shaped battery cells 100a and 100b are arranged in series in the longitudinal direction, so that the electrode terminals 120 of the battery cells 100a, 100b are adjacent to each other continuously without interruption, and the electrode terminals 120 of the battery cells 100a and 100b are welded together. are connected to each other, and the battery cells 100a and 100b are folded so that the battery cells 100a and 100b are stacked on each other. As can be seen from FIG. 3, the welded electrode terminals 120 of the stacked battery cells 100a and 100b are bent into a "[" shape to constitute a battery cell stack 100' including the stacked battery cells 100a and 100b.

4 and 5 are perspective views illustrating the battery cover 200 , and in particular, perspective views illustrating the left cover portion 211 of the battery cover 200 . The left cover portion 211 has an inner structure corresponding to the outer shape of the battery cell stack 100' (see FIG. 3 ). A thermistor 560 for detecting the temperature of the battery unit 100 is connected to the middle area of the left cover part 211 . Thermistor 560 is connected to an external battery management system (BMS) 562 by cable 561 . The thermistor 560 is mounted to the left cover portion 211 in a structure in which the thermistor is incorporated on the outside or inside of the left cover portion 211 .

Preferably, the incorporation of the thermistor is performed after battery module assembly. However, depending on the situation, bonding of the thermistor is performed during the assembly process of the battery module. A right cover part (not shown) connected to the left cover part 211 may be configured in the same shape as the left cover part 211 .

FIG. 6 is a view showing a high-strength battery cover 200 configured in a structure surrounding the entire outer surface of the battery cell stack 100'. While protecting battery cells having low mechanical strength, the high-strength battery cover 200 restrains repeated expansion and contraction changes of the battery cells during charge and discharge of the battery cells, thereby preventing separation between sealed regions of those battery cells. The battery cover 200 includes a pair of left cover part 211 and right cover part 212 . The left cover part 211 and the right cover part 212 can be connected to each other without additional connecting parts. A thermistor 560 (see FIG. 4 ) is coupled to a middle area of each cover portion constituting the battery cover 200 . The thermistor 560 is connected to an external connector (not shown) through a cable.

The connection structure of the battery cover 200 is shown in detail in FIG. 7 . FIG. 7 shows a cross-sectional view and a partially enlarged view of the battery cover 200 . Referring to FIG. 7, the battery cover parts 211 and 212 have connection portions formed approximately symmetrically on their vertical sections and are configured to be symmetrically curved structures 221 and 222, so that when the battery cover parts 211 and 212 are pressed, the battery cover When the parts 211 and 212 contact each other so that the battery cover parts 211 and 212 face each other, the battery cover parts 211 and 212 can be engaged with each other by elastic connection. Thus, a strong mechanical connection between the battery cover parts 211 and 212 can be accomplished without using additional connectors. This simple connection method is more suitable for mass production.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing a unit battery module according to the present invention. The battery cover 200 is installed on the outer surface of the battery cell stack 100 for enhancing weak mechanical properties of the stacked battery cells 100 . The electrode terminals on one side of the battery cell are connected to each other by welding, so that the electrode terminal 120 on one side of the battery cell 100 is bent into a "[" shape, and the electrode terminal 121 on the other side of the battery cell 100 is bent outward so that The electrode terminal 121 on the other side of the battery cell 100 is connected to the electrode terminal of the adjacent unit battery module.

The battery cover 200 is made of a pair of interconnected high-strength metal plates so as to surround the entire outer surface of the battery cell stack except for the electrode terminal area of the battery cells.

On the opposite side of the battery cover 200 is formed a step 240 through which the battery module can be easily fixed. Steps 250 having the same function as the steps 240 are also formed at the upper and lower ends of the battery cover 200 . In addition, longitudinal fixing parts 260 are formed at upper and lower ends of the battery cover 200 so that the battery module is easily fixed through the longitudinal fixing parts 260 . The battery cover 200 has a plurality of linear protrusions spaced apart from each other in the lateral direction on its outer surface. A protrusion formed in the middle area of the battery cover has a recess 233 in which a thermistor (not shown) is mounted. Among the linear protrusions, the upper end protrusion and the lower end protrusion have protrusions 231 and 232 formed in opposite shapes.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing a middle-sized or large-sized battery module 400 including a plurality of stacked unit battery modules 300 . According to the present invention, four unit battery modules 300 constitute one medium-sized or large-sized battery module 400 . Therefore, a total of eight battery cells are included in the middle-sized or large-sized battery module 400 . The upper end electrode terminal 121 of the outermost unit battery module 300 is bent inwardly into " ", so that the electrode terminal 121 protrudes slightly more than the other electrode terminals.

FIG. 10 typically shows the process of assembling a medium-sized or large-sized battery module according to the present invention. First, two pouch-shaped battery cells are arranged in series in the longitudinal direction so that the electrode terminals of the battery cells are adjacent to each other continuously without interruption, and the electrode terminals of the battery cells are connected to each other by welding [1]. The battery cells in which the electrode terminals are connected to each other are folded so that the battery cells are stacked on each other to constitute a battery cell stack. At this time, the welded electrode terminals of the stacked battery cells are bent in the shape of “[” [2]. Subsequently, a battery cover made of two left and right metal plates is mounted on the battery cell stack to manufacture a unit battery module [3]. A plurality of unit battery modules manufactured according to the above description are stacked, and electrode terminals of the unit battery modules are connected to each other to manufacture a medium-sized or large-sized battery module [4].

FIG. 11 is an exploded perspective view typically showing a process of mounting a medium-sized or large-sized battery module to a battery pack frame. The medium-sized or large-sized battery pack 500 includes a plurality of unit battery modules 400 which are stacked while being in close contact with each other. A bus bar 540 is located at the front of the battery pack 500 and a BMS 550 is located at the rear of the battery pack 500 . The bus bar 540 may be electrically connected through a connection member (not shown) such as a wire, a metal plate, a printed circuit board (PCB), or a flexible PCB. A front cover 530 for combining and protecting connectors is installed on the outer side of the bus bar 540 .

FIG. 12 is a right side perspective view of the assembled battery pack 500 , and FIG. 13 is a left side perspective view of the assembled battery pack 500 .

Referring first to Figure 12, an assembled battery pack 500a is shown in one side perspective view. On the top of the upper frame 520 of the battery pack 500a are formed a concavo-convex portion 521 for fixing the position of the battery pack 500a so that the battery pack 500a is mounted in place, and an insertion portion 522 into which fixing screws are inserted. It is required that the electrode terminals of the outermost unit modules among the unit modules mounted to the upper and lower frames 520 and 510 are electrically connected to an external circuit or an adjacent battery module. For this, external input and output terminal bus bars 540 are connected to electrode terminals of the outermost unit modules. In order for the bus bar 540 to be mounted to the corresponding electrode terminal, the bus bar is provided with a connection hole through which the connection protrusion 531 formed on the outer side of the upper frame 520 is inserted. Therefore, when vibration and shock are applied to the battery pack, the bus bars 540 are firmly mounted to the corresponding electrode terminals.

A protrusion 511 for fixing the front cover 530 is formed at the lower end of the lower frame 510 (see FIG. 11 ). Fixing holes 532 for fixing the aforementioned cables are formed in the front cover 530 (see FIG. 11 ). Also, a step 240 is formed at the end of the battery module, so when the battery module is inserted into the battery pack frame by 3 mm, the battery module is fixed to the battery pack frame.

Referring to Figure 13, the assembled battery pack 500b is shown in another side perspective view. Two connectors are attached to one side of the battery pack 500b. One of the connectors is a thermistor connector 562 to which a cable is connected to a thermistor (not shown) mounted inside the battery cover and extending through the thermistor hole 561 connector. The other connector is a cable connector 570 to which a cable for controlling the operation of the battery module is connected. A cable connector 570 is located adjacent to the thermistor connector 562 . The lower frame 510 is provided with a connecting hole 512 for fixing the battery pack 500b on the opposite side of the lower end thereof.

A plurality of battery packs 500a can be connected to each other to manufacture a medium-sized or large-sized battery system with high output and large capacity.

While the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described for illustrative purposes, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various changes may be made, adding and replace.

Industrial Applicability

As apparent from the above description, the present invention has the effect of easily installing the detection unit, minimizing the weight and size of the battery unit while effectively enhancing the low mechanical performance of the battery unit, and detecting the operating state of the battery unit of the battery module. In addition, the present invention has the effect of manufacturing the battery module through a simple assembly process without using a plurality of parts for mechanical connection and electrical connection, thereby reducing the manufacturing cost of the battery module and effectively preventing the battery module from being Short circuit or damage during the manufacture or operation of the battery module. In addition, the present invention also has the effect of using the battery pack as a unit body to manufacture a medium-sized or large-sized battery system with desired output and capacity.

Claims (18)

1. a battery module comprises plate-shaped battery cell, and this plate-shaped battery cell has the electrode terminal of end formed thereon and lower end, and wherein this battery module comprises:

Two or more are with the secondary battery unit of the structure construction that piles up, and wherein the electrode terminal of secondary battery unit is connected in series mutually and the connecting portion of electrode terminal is bent, so that secondary battery unit is stacked; And

A pair of high strength battery cover is used for when this is connected to each other battery cover around the outer surface of the secondary battery unit except that the electrode terminal of secondary battery unit.

2. according to the battery module of claim 1, wherein this battery cover has the inside structure corresponding to the profile of battery cell stack, and this battery cover is connected to each other with the assembling ways of connecting.

3. according to the battery module of claim 2, wherein this battery cover is formed at the connecting portion of the structure that is configured to symmetric curvature on its vertical section with having near symmetrical, make when battery cover and partly be pressed, battery cover partly contacts with each other when battery cover is partly faced with each other simultaneously, and the battery cover part can connect by elasticity intermeshes.

4. according to the battery module of claim 1, wherein this electrode terminal is connected to each other by welding.

5. according to the battery module of claim 1, wherein each plate-shaped battery cell is constructed with following structure: electrode assemblie is installed in the housing in this structure, this housing is made by the laminated sheet that contains metal level and resin bed, and the edge of housing is sealed.

6. according to the battery module of claim 5, wherein this housing is the bag shape housing of being made by aluminum laminate sheet.

7. according to the battery module of claim 5, wherein the side seals in the edge seal of secondary battery unit is bent, so that this side seals roughly meets the interior shape of housing.

8. according to the battery module of claim 1, wherein this battery cover is made by the metallic plate with high-termal conductivity.

9. according to the battery module of claim 1, wherein each battery cover its outer surface be provided with a plurality of laterally (Width) go up apart from one another by linear protrusion.

10. according to the battery module of claim 9, wherein at least one in this linear protrusion has thermistor installation depression within it.

11. according to the battery module of claim 9, wherein the top and bottom projection in this linear protrusion has the opposite protuberance of shape of formation.

12. according to the battery module of claim 11, wherein this projection with protuberance is to arrange with respect to the discrete structure of this protuberance.

13. according to the battery module of claim 9, wherein these projectioies of great majority are constructed to make length between this protruding opposite end less than the width of this battery cover.

14. according to the battery module of claim 1, wherein the outer surface of this battery cover in contiguous its top and bottom is provided with the step of preliminary dimension, is used for easily this battery module being fixed.

15. according to the battery module of claim 1, wherein this battery cover is provided with the step of preliminary dimension at the outer surface of contiguous its opposite side, is used for easily this battery module being fixed.

16. the medium-sized or large-sized battery pack that a use is made as cell cube according to each the battery module in the claim 1 to 15.

17. according to the battery pack of claim 16, wherein this battery pack makes this be stacked on transversely setting and makes by piling up of two or more battery modules is installed on the pack frame.

18. according to the battery pack of claim 16, wherein this battery pack is as the power supply of motor vehicle or hybrid electric vehicle.

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